ClearBank Joins Circle to Power Blockchain Payments

• Programmably via ClearBank’s integration with Circle, bridges traditional banking and blockchain for faster settlements.
• The partnership enables regulated access to MiCA-compliant USDC and EURC stablecoins.
• Collaboration marks a model for compliant blockchain adoption in Europe’s financial institutions.

ClearBank has signed a strategic partnership with Circle Internet Group to connect the legacy banking and blockchain-based payments. The collaboration connects the cloud-native solution of ClearBank to the blockchain network of Circle, allowing transfers across the borders in almost real time and access to stablecoins of MiCA regulation. They said that the step is one of the first integrations of a European bank with the system of Circle, which highlights the fact that the financial sphere is turning into the world of regulated digital assets.

ClearBank Joins Circle Network to Boost Blockchain Payments

By partnering with ClearBank, the latter is able to become serviceable within the Circle Payments Network, a universal infrastructure linking banks and fintechs to move money programmably, via blockchain technology. With this relationship, ClearBank gets access to Circle Mint, allowing institutions to issue and redeem USDC and EURC as liquidity and treasury management. Both stablecoins hold full reserves in cash and short-term government securities and comply with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR).

Both firms said that the partnership would result in improved speed and transparency of settlement in international transactions, treasury services and remittances. The network of Circle, which already involves players like Coinbase, is meant to decrease the use of legacy correspondent banking systems. The involvement of ClearBank widens the presence of Circle in the U.K. and Europe and enhances the integration of fiat and blockchain-based payments.

From Stablecoin Ambitions to Regulated Blockchain Integration

ClearBank had already attempted to start its own stablecoin but encountered regulatory obstacles through the regulation of the Bank of England. Collaboration with Circle is a compliant and scalable solution, which enables ClearBank to adopt blockchain technology without the multicomponent hassle of releasing its own currency.

According to Cleartailored CEO Mark Fairless, the partnership represented a significant milestone in the ongoing modernization of cross-border payments. Moreover, Circle’s Vice President of EMEA Partnerships, Sanja Kon, emphasized that the integration would further enhance access to open, programmable money throughout Europe’s financial ecosystem. Together, ClearBank and Circle aim to advance blockchain payments while strengthening compliance within the region’s regulated digital finance landscape.

The cooperation of the two is being regarded by industry analysts as a roadmap of how controlled banks can modernize without compromising on compliance. By joining the Circle Payments Network, ClearBank reinforces its role as a leader in blockchain-driven financial innovation. Moreover, the partnership drives the next phase of digital banking collaborations across Europe.